Coupler mechanism.



PATENTED AUG. 29, 1905.

D. SCHUSTEK.

COUPLBR MECHANISM.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG.20,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 798,459. PATENTED 111111.29, 1905, D. SGHUSTEK.

GOUPLER MBCHANISM.

APPLICATION' FILED AUG. 20. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL SCHUSTEK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HERBERT L. ANDREVS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COUPLER NIECHANISNI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1905.

Original application filed January 2, 1902, Serial No. 88,212. Divided and this application filed August 20, 1904. Serial Nm 221,554.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL SoHUs'rnK, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coupler Mechanism, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to improvements in coupler mechanism for reed-organs, and has among its salient objects to provide an improved mechanism for actuating both the octave-coupler mechanism and one or more sets of reeds through the same lever mechanism, to provide a mechanism which is simple and compact and yet which is strong and convenient, and in general to provide details in improvement tending to make an economical and practicable construction for the purposes hereinafter more fully set out.

To the above ends the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly set forth in the appended claims, and the invention will be readily understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the organ mechanism and casing therefor. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan View on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 with a portion of the keyboard broken away to expose the arrangement ofthe mechanism beneath the keys. Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of the upper portion of the mechanism, taken on the iudirect line 3 3 of Eig. l.

The subject-matter of the present invention is divided out of my present pending application for patent on improvements in reed-organs, filed January 2, 1902, Serial No. 88,212, and to which reference is made for a more detailed description and illustration of the organ mechanism and casing thereof than is necessary to a proper and suflicient showing' and understanding of the subject-matter of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, 1, 2, and 3 designate, respectively, the front, back, and top walls of an organ-casing, as shown in the transverse vertical sectional view of Fig. 1, the top wall 3 being adapted to be raised and adjusted to form a book-rest.

i designates a longitudinally-extending partition arranged to extend in an inclined position from end to end of the casing and being made rigid therewith. Upon one side of said partition is mounted the reed mechanism, (designated as a whole 5,) together with a windchest 6, while upon the other side of said partition is mounted the bellows mechanism,(des ignated as a whole 7.)

Describing now the matter involved in the present invention, 8 designates as a whole a key-plate which is suitably secured at each end and arranged to extend underneath and the full length of the bank of keys, (designated as a whole 9.) Said key-plate is provided at its rear margin with an upstanding flange member 9, having an overhanging or ledge portion 10, with which is engaged the lower arm 11 of the bifurcated end of each key 1 2. The forked end of each key is also slotted vertically a short distance inwardly from its end, and a series of guidepins 13 is mounted in the key-plate and arranged to project upwardly to receive the said slotted ends of the keys, as shown clearly in Eig. 1. A second series of guide-pins 14 is mounted in the opposite or front edge of the key-plate, which pins are severally engaged with corresponding slots 15, formed in the under surfaces of the keys, the slots 15 in the keys which engage the pins 14 being so formed as to prevent endwise movement of the key in a direction to release it from engagement with the ledge 10. The depth of these slots is sufcient to permit the necessary oscillation of the key in playing.

Describing the means by which movement of the key is transmitted to the corresponding reed-cell pallet, the key-plate 8 is longitudinall y slotted centrally throughout the full length of the bank of keys, as indicated at 16, and through this slot are arranged to project the front ends of a series of levers 17, each of whichl is pivoted at a point between'its ends upon a transverse pivot stud or bar 18. The pivotal supports 18, which carry the several levers, are mounted in axial alinement with each other in a supporting-block 19, which is conveniently interposed between the lower side of the key-plate 8 and the upper edge of the sounding-board or partition il., said su pporting-block being mortised at regular intervals throughout its length to receive the several levers. A minor feature of improvement consists in forming the pivot-apertures of the levers in the form of open slots 20, so that when the key-plate is removed any one or more of the levers may be removed with- IOO out disturbing the rest by simply lifting it out of its mortise. The rear end ol each lever is operatively connected with the corresponding' pallet by means ot' the actuating'- rod 21. The peculiar construction et these rods is a 'feature ot' some importance. As the position ot' the key is made to depend upon the position of the lever, it is important that the actuating-rod be litted to the eX- aet length intervening' between the end ot' the lever and the pallet with which it is connected at its other end, and to this end l provide the actuating-rod at a point intermediate its leng'th with a. kink or bend 22, which may be conveniently closed or opened slightly to vary the leng'th ot the actuatingrod without disengaging the latter Afrom the connected parts. It is 'further important that these actuating'- rods be so constructed that they may be instantly disengaged when it is so desired, and to this end l provide each rod with an open loop 23, the tree end ot which terminates in a pin-like portion 24, which extends substantially parallel with the main body ot' the rod and engages a suitable aperture formed through the end ol the `lever at a distance inwardly from its extreme end slightly less than the transverse width of the loop Q3. The engagement ot' the actuating end ot' the rod with the pallet is by means et' an eye formed at right angles to the loop 23, so that said loop is normally held in alinement with the lever and in proper engagement with the latter; but in case it be desired to disengage said parts the loop 23 may be twisted around through an angle of ninety degrees, in which position the lower side of the loop is carried out of engagement with the under side oi the lever and the pin portion ot' the rod may be disengaged from the lever. Owing' to the resilient character ot' the wire ot which the rods are made, this is perfectly feasible without permanently distorting the rod and the assembling o't' the parts is obviously the reversal of this operation. j

Next describing the coupler mechanism, which mechanismis operable through the medium of the several levers, 25 designates a coupler-lever support taking the Vt'orm in the present instance of a `llat board-like bar arranged to extend transversely and horizontally beneath the key-plate and pivotally attached at its rear edge to a iixed supportingbar 26, the pivotal connection being' at the upper rear edge ot" the lever-support, as indicated at 27. '.lhenormal position ot' said lever-support is inclined forwardly and downwardly, as shown in Fig'. 1, and at its Vliront edgeitis provided with a Hange-like upward extension 28, which carries a plurality ot' horizontallyextending rollers 29, (see Fig'. 3,) mounted upon suitable pins or studs and engaging an endwisereciproeatory cam-bar 30, whereby the lever-support is normally held in the position shown in Fig. l. Fach of the couplerlevers 3l constitutes, in effect, a rock-bar provided at each end with a crank portion, as 32 33, (see detail Figs. 2 and 3,) said levers being' mounted to oscillate in suitable eye-like supports or bearings 34 upon the support 25, and the distance between the two crank por- Ations being' equal to the distance between octaves. The rearmost end otl each rock-lever is arranged to project within a groove or recess 35, formed in the corresponding'lever in alinement therewith, while the opposite cranked end underlies a plunger-like stud or projection 3G, mounted upon the under side ot the key one octave removed lrom the lever with which the opposite crank is engaged. The length ot the stud 36 is such that in the normal position oi the couplersupport the keys may be depressed without ln'ingingthem into engagement with the coupler-levers; but when the coupler-support 25 is tilted up into approximately horizon tal position in a manner hereinafter to be explained the depression ol a key brings the projection 3G into bearing with thesubjacentcoupler-lever and oscillates thelatter down wardly, thereby oscillating the octave-lever with which its opposite end is engaged, and thus opening the pallet connected with that level' in addition to the pallet actuated by the lever directly engaged by the key.

Describing next the mecha nism whereby the cam-bar 30 is supported and reciprocated, 37 designates a transverse Vtrame-bar extending the tull length ot the organ -movement, and upon this are mounted a plurality otl studs 3b', which underlie the cambar 3() and support the latter, the projecting' ends ot' said studs being' upturned, so as to likewise hold the bar against lateral movement. ln order to reduce the friction between the cam-bar and the supporting-studs, the latter are desirably provided with antifriction-rollers 29, journaled thereon, upon which the cam-bar directly rests. Referring to 2 and 3, the upper edge et the cam-bar is recessed, as indicated at 39, and provided with inclined shoulders 40, the rollers 29 being' arranged to rest within the recesses 39 in the normal position ol the cam-bar and being' adapted to ride up the 'inclined shoulders el() and rest upon the upper edge of the bar when the latter is reciprocated to lit't the coupler-support. The recesses 39 are elongated, so that the cam-bar is capable ot movement a substantial distance be't'ore the rollers 29 engage the inclined surfaces and begin to litt the coupler-support, this initial endwise movement ot' the cam-bar being' utilized tor operating the stop mechanism which controls one or more sets ot' reeds to bring the latter into operation before the coupler mechanism is operated. rlhe cam-bal' is normally held in retracted position by means ot' a coiled spring l1, (see Fig.

2,) connected with one end thereof and attached at its opposite end to the inner tace of IOO the front casing, as indicated clearly in Fig. 2. In order to actuate the cam-bar against the tension of the. spring, said bar is connected with a knee-swell, (not shown,) whereby it can be reciprocated at the will of the performer to lift the coupler-support, as hereinbefore fully described.

By the above-described construction an eX- tremely light key-action, as well as an exceedingly quick response, is obtained, and while only one form of the invention is shown and described. it is obvious that modifications and alterations in the details of construction and arrangement can be made without departing' from the spirit of the invention, which I do not limit to said details except in so far as they are made the subject-matter of specific claims.

I claim- 1. In an organ-movement, the combination with a coupler-bar, a key and support therefor, of a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends and provided at one end with a pair of projecting portions, one of said portions operatively engaging said key and the other adapted to engage said coupler-bar, the opposite end ot' said lever being adapted to be connected with a reed-cell mechanism, substantially as described.

2. In an organ-movement, the combination with a coupler-bar, a key and support therefor, of a lever provided intermediate its ends with an open pivot-slot, a pivot-support upon which said lever is removably mounted, said lever being provided at one end with a keyengaging portion and an undercut recess forming a lip for the engagement of said couplerbar, substantially as described.

3. In an organ-movement, a key, a couplerbar, a lever provided intermediate its ends with an open pivot-slot, a supporting-block provided with a pivot member upon which Said lever is removably mounted, said lever having operative engagement at one end with said key and provided with a recess between the point of engagement with said key and its pivot, said recess being adapted to receive the end of said coupler-bar, the opposite end of said lever being adapted to be connected with the reed-cell mechanism, substantially as described.

4. In combination with an organ movement, a key and a lever with operative engagement therebetween, said lever pivotally supported between its ends and provided at its key-engaged end with an undercut recess forming a lip located below the top surface of the lever for the purpose described.

DANIEL SCHUS'IEK.

Witnesses:

HAR'rwiok BYE, HERBERT L. ANDREWS. 

